Danchi,

No. That comment was taken right off the pages of a certain pediatrician who was allegedly on the pro-choice side of our community. He stated right on his Facebook page that parents in the pro-choice movement should have their children write 'nice' notes to each and every legislator as an act to show these representatives that our side are really nice people, and not the quacks we were made out to be by those on the pro vaccine side who didn't understand our issues re SB277.

In fact, given your comments regarding Bolen (and by which I completely agree), he outs this particular pediatrician in one of his articles. This 'make nice' issue angered Bolen as much as it did me and many others.

We should.be calling for the resignations of these corrupt politicians, asap!

Wow! I just wondered what vital updates, messages, possibly recommendations/directions from somewhere, the CA Senators were receiving from staff moving in and out during the hearing...I assumed their own staff, maybe other senator's staff...lobbyists have to be on the spot? Really, the cynic in me can't be sure what expressions of concerns about SB 277 are legit, what are attempts to get in a more politically secure voting position, and what are really just bargaining chips?

How do we get most fully vaccinating Californians to see that their right to not inject 300 different vaccines in their child (and themselves) maybe, if they don't want to, is at risk?

nhokkanen
I've been following Bolen for a long time and he's provided me over the years with some good information that I could use in regards to other health issues. He's the first person to give me the complete low down on David Gorski long before anyone else. I don't have to like him to take into consideration what he has to offer. My instincts are pretty good after years of dealing with more BS than Bolen could ever put out and IMHO, the man's heart and soul are in the right place. He's has an ego no doubt. He knows it which is why he goes the extra mile in my opinion-except with the California agenda which even he admits he could have done more to provide information, to inform people of laws, rules etc that others did not know existed. That type of personality doesn't quit. That's what's needed in the the fight to maintain medical autonomy-someone who doesn't quit. When has the government ever played nice?

This has also been documented by California Coalition for Health Choice here:

https://www.facebook.com/vaccineinfo/photos/a.408334680890.205178.171964245890/10153186328995891/?type=1

Senator Liu is married to this person?

http://www.takebackyourpower.net/news/2015/02/13/utility-commissioners-private-emails-reveal-conspiracy/

I watched a different surreal video (not sure of the link but it was similar in topic to the above) of public testimony of many California citizens who were wifi sensitive or were speaking to Peevey in behalf of those too ill to testify themselves, while aware of what the "smart" grid has done to the quality of my life (and that's while still paying extra to not have them on our own walls). It came right after wrenching testimony regarding the San Bruno explosion.

I can't help asking were the two failures linked in some way?

Certainly, the process of allowing smart grid commentary has been shown to be meaningless display. Peevey stayed in his appointed position for some time after and then we get the show of "appreciation" for his time of "service" (video in the above link), and most citizens in compliant California communities don't know they are guinea pigs of irradiating surveillance.

@Holly Riley:

I understand where you're coming from, to a certain extent, re Carol Liu, but are you at all aware of the following info. on both Liu and her husband? There are, indeed, some very concerning issues here with these two. Consider the below:

http://www.blacklistednews.com/SB277_Controversial_Committee_Chair_Steals_Victory_From_CA_Parents/43466/0/38/38/Y/M.html

"...Committee Chair Senator Carol Liu is not without her controversies. She received campaign money from the law firm Girardi & Keese. Girardi was implicated in a racketeering scandal that involved bribery and laundering money for judges and attorneys! But, it gets worse. Southern Edison was investigated for prolonged power outages by the California Public Utilities Commission. Not only did Edison contribute more than $35,000 to Liu, her husband is a former Edison executive and chaired the CPUC! Liu did not respond to requests. But, it gets worse. Her husband, Michael Peevey resigned in disgrace after the mayor of San Bruno and others accused PUC officials, including Peevey, of not properly notifying the public of confidential communications with the utility in the case of the San Bruno gas explosion. The disaster killed eight people, injured 66, and destroyed 38 homes. It cannot get worse than that. Or can it? Liu and Peevey’s house was raided and computers were taken in a massive judge-shopping investigation involving Pacific Gas & Electric. Truth is certainly stranger than fiction."

I remember this story. Liu's husband, to put things very correctly/bluntly...is a crook. I've read up on his past. It's rather unsavory, to say the least. I'm not at all saying Carol Liu is responsible in any way, shape or form for her husband's behavior, but still. She's married to the guy, so that does (or should) give you SOME insight into her CHARACTER.

And she's had issues come up around her own political activities.

You stated the following:

"...Even the staff didn't know how she would vote on 277 because she was waiting to hear testimony before making up her mind, as the democratic process is supposed to work..."

What makes you feel this particular staff member was telling you the truth? He may have, but not necessarily. The political process isn't exactly known for its above the board transparency, not to mention the fact that these aides/staff members are not always entirely clued in, either.

I understand your point, really. You are one of Liu's constituents and you voted for her. However, given the completely unsavory antics of SOME of our legislators in times past, does not induce many of us toward a 'benefit of the doubt' sort of mindset when it comes to these political figures.

As someone once said to me a few years back after he came back from Sacramento during the hearings re AB2109 - he said to me he had to go home to shower to clean off the filth he felt he'd picked up after having spent the entire day in Sacramento, witnessing the corruption; it was SO distasteful to him.

Personally, I feel the turnout for this last hearing was fantastic. This issue of parental rights and the right to freedom in healthcare choice is a passionate one for almost all of us (or at least it certainly should be).

These Senators need to have their feet put to the fire. While I do not espouse rudeness, nor any other type of ill behavior during this process, at the same time, 'politeness' is not going to get us anywhere re the SB277 issue. Confronting these Senators in a calm, yet very FIRM way, letting them know in no uncertain terms what we expect them to do, is the way to approach this issue. Being 'nice' and 'polite' won't get us anywhere (and never has). These Senators have, and will, look you straight in the eye and LIE to you. They do it all the time, make no mistake about that.

These Senators NEED TO HEAR OUR ANGER. Respect and honesty are EARNED VIRTUES; no one gets a free pass from me or MY family, until those same individuals have provided us with enough validation to the extent we feel we CAN trust/respect them.

That's how I feel, anyway. So when Liu decided to push THAT MUTE BUTTON and was not at all transparent about the two seats of which she knew were going to be vacated, (as did every single one of those other panelists, INCLUDING PAN), she lost any sort of respect I may have been inclined to give her (not that she had it in the first place).

Just my .02...

Correction:

http://www.calchannel.com/recent-archive/

See the 4/15 Education Committee video. (Not 3/15 of course.)

At 2:52:44 Senator Liu says that the penalty of taking kids out of school is not a solution, and points out the ACLU's statement in the bill's Analysis saying that going to school is a fundamental right under the CA constitution, and asks how do you justify banning children from school.

All this talk about the "children who cannot be immunized" drives me crazy. Many of the people who don't vaccinate have a reason, such as prior adverse reactions, sibling's adverse reaction, or family history of autoimmunity. There is no concern for identifying who should not be vaccinated. The official medical exemptions are very narrow. There is no interest in studying vaccine injured children to figure out what are the susceptibility factors, how can vaccine schedules be tailored to the individual, how can these injuries be prevented, how can they be treated. "Children who cannot be immunized" are held up as a reason why everyone else must be forced to get all the vaccines. Yet we do not even know who should not be "immunized". Figuring this out is up to the individual families and their doctors. Our govt agencies are so concerned with declaring adverse reactions to be a coincidence and hushing them up as much as possible that they have not developed good standards for identifying a vaccine injury, let alone identifying who is susceptible.

Bayareamom, Senator Liu discusses her concerns starting at 03:37:00, and specifically the religious exemption at 03:37:45 here:

http://www.calchannel.com/recent-archive/

See the 3/15 Education Committee video.

Regarding Pan's inability to answer the senator's questions...It looked like he didn't think the legislation through. But I think that he has thought it through, and in his mind, what will happen is that some parents will have their kids vaccinated and the ones who aren't able to follow through with homeschooling according to the law, will have their children taken by the state and vaccinated and either returned to their parents or to the for profit foster care system (the more the merrier $$).

It still seems very much like the Democrats are the ones that blindly (or maybe not) promote the vaccinate, even though the CDC is corrupt and many children have been harmed, schedule.

Yes Betty,
The Pan/Allen piece was defamatory toward Dr. Wakefield. They once again blamed every problem on him and called him a liar. He's the reason why this legislation is even necessary. I hope they are held responsible for their words.

Holly,
Thanks for sharing. Couldn't help but think re Liu's bill 445 to get homeless kids into school even without documentation including vaccine records, wouldn't providing those kids with a HOME be more important than and a prerequisite to providing them with a school? Just saying. That legislation is the polar opposite of 277 also, as you point out.

I'm writing this to give a big picture perspective for folks who are just emerging from Democrats good, Republicans bad (or visa versa) thinking.

Mussolini's definition of fascism was Corporatism, the merger of corporations and the State. When corporations make the law, and force people to buy and consume their product, that's fascism, and that's what's happening here with the pharmaceutical companies in the case of mandatory vaccines.

For this revolution to work and for us to actually succeed in overthrowing the elite, liberal progressives will need to join with conservative libertarians, and agree to disagree on hot button polarizing issues like abortion, gun control, gay marriage and the like, and instead focus diligently on getting corporations out of our government, auditing and then abolishing the Federal Reserve and restoring the gold standard, restoring accurate paper ballot voting, and prohibiting 1st strike wars. We can all agree on the importance of these and get our democracy and our economy back.

REFUSE TO POLARIZE on hot button issues as a revolutionary act. They are socially engineered and spot lighted by the corporate owned media to divide and conquer us. UNIFY instead, and brush off the operative plants who attempt to psychologically disrupt any people's organization that makes headway. Realize that during the American Revolution overthrowing British control, only 1/3rd of the people supported it, 1/3rd opposed it, and 1/3rd didn't care. Sound familiar? Let this give you hope when you get overwhelmed.

If you're progressive check out Marianne Williamson's www.sistergiant.com. If you're a libertarian Ron and Rand Paul have done more than anyone to restore democracy. See www.voicesofliberty.com Support BOTH the progressives and the libertarians and we will have a chance to overthrow the elite and get our democracy back. But we do not have a chance if we stay polarized. Occupy's 99% was not 99%. Let's get real. The conservatives were not digging on them. It was half of that. And we need all to win. This is not about red states vs. blue states, or the puppets the elite give us to vote on for President of the United States. Let that old charade of pseudo democracy go. We are now operating as an oligarchy. This is about We the People reclaiming our nation and our democracy from the corporations and the elite.

Kudos to all of you who are calling our representatives and showing up in great numbers dressed in red and speaking out against mandatory vaccines! You are making the crucial difference! Proponent lawmakers of SB277 are shaking in their shoes. They are few. We are many. They are having to deal with the cognitive dissonance of wanting the money they will receive from Merke vs. the knowledge that they are being deceitful to their constituents and voting against our civil rights. They are no doubt having to take large amounts of pharmaceuticals to sleep at night. Keep it up and bring more people! Even if we lose this, in the big picture, this is but one battle in a revolution. It's working!

My big gratitude and appreciation for everyone's time and hard work.

There are a couple of comments here on Sen. Huff's YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkERBl6LnL0

from Bill Bird:

"As the Communications Director for Senator Huff, I want to assure all of you that the Senator's removal from Senate Education Committee has nothing to do with his stance on SB 277. This is a request that Senator Huff made to the Senate President pro-Tem several weeks ago. The request did not become formal, however, until Senate Rules Committee took official action to replace Senator Huff with Senator Sharon Runner. While I know the timing looks bad, there is no smoke here."

"I don't work for Senator Monning nor the President pro-Tem who made that decision so I don't know what into that thinking. I do work for Senator Huff, and I can tell you that he had requested that he be moved off that committee and replaced with Senator Runner. It had nothing to do with the vote on SB 277. He announced during committee that he would oppose the bill. If it somehow reaches the Senate Floor, he will still be in opposition."

"...She expressed concern about the Governor's request for a religious exemption..."

I must have missed that portion of the hearing.

So - question: 'Concern,' as in what manner? Concern there is not yet a truly valid religious exemption on California's table, or 'concern' the Governor is expressing an interest re allowing a religious exemption, when Liu (perhaps) may not be in favor of such?

Also, and just my .02 here, but I'm not really concerned re 'who' knew 'what,' here (re the musical chairs issue). I'm more concerned with the issue as to transparency.

I feel Senator Liu should have been completely honest and explained to the constituents sitting in that hearing the fact that two of those panel seats were soon going to be vacated and then explained 'who' would be taking over those two seats. So huh...she must have forgotten THAT part...

This panel has had its back shoved into the collective corner with this issue and its response was that they've known about this issue for a month (if memory serves).

That's fine, but how about cluing the public in about that issue as well? She suddenly went mute about that part...

Another issue I have is the fact that they could EASILY, completely revamp this entire bill, but now we know there will be NO public discourse permitted next week re those revisions.

Wow; how mighty convenient!

I've stated this already, but what if those revisions bring up NEW ISSUES?! Issues which should rightfully be discussed, prior to vote. So, in effect, we could have an essentially newly tailored bill now presented next week, with absolutely no public feedback whatsoever...followed by a vote.

THIS is, in part, what I am referring to when I state our system needs to be overhauled. Rules/regulations should be in place so as not to allow this type manipulation to be permitted (not to mention we've got a group of people sitting on this panel that don't have a CLUE about the multiple layered issues regarding the junk science backing our entire vaccine program).

Don't even get me started on that one...

Very interesting points about Sen Huff, Twyla. He is a Republican. Why did he leave? Was it due to any kind of pressure? It does seem suspicious.

I definitely agree that "something profoundly rotten happened this week". I just don't know who is to blame. You may be quite right, Dave and John. I don't know what went on behind the scenes, and I don't know what are the senate rules on assigning people to committees and taking them off. But here is another possibility to consider. Maybe Senator Huff was removed from the committee because of what he said and asked at the hearing. Maybe the story that he was already scheduled to leave the committee was bull.

Senator Huff did at least two things that were outrageous from the pharma-CDC perspective. He called up Dr. Bob Sears and asked him to talk about vaccine shedding. Dr. Sears read the FDA warning that a vaccine (varicela as I recall) can shed the virus for up to six weeks, and that people who have recently received this vaccine are a danger to the immunocompromised. Senator Huff talked about his niece who has allergies, and said that eventually her parents determined that the aluminum in vaccines caused those allergies. He said that supposedly science has proven no link between vaccines and autism, but that science still cannot tell us what causes autism, and if parents believe in such a link who are we (the schools) to tell them that they are wrong and they have to vaccinate? He said that sometimes there is not a clear right and wrong and freedom means having the right to make choices, and we should not treat people as second class citizens for not doing what they are told.

Senator Huff also asked why is whooping cough spreading among the vaccinated. The other side's Dr. Bergen was surprisingly frank, saying that the old DPT caused lots of side effects, and that the current DTaP is better tolerated but does not have as good long-term immunity. (Did not mention the microbe mutating, but still…)

Then Senator Huff said that if he had an immunocompromised child he would not want the child to be at school. This is a very good point - there are plenty of illnesses/infections going around which are not "vaccine preventable". He said that he thinks vaccines are one of modern medicine's greatest achievements, but that in life there may be trade-offs on the other side, and he is going to vote against this bill.

His testimony was a disaster for those who wish to mandate more and more vaccines and deny vaccine injuries. I suggest that someone pulled him aside and said that he better step down from the Education Committee and never speak of these things again if he wants to continue his career and not be targeted for no re-election, no campaign contributions, blacklisting, etc. I don't know who has the power to do this. I don't know what are the rules in the Senate.

Senator Liu said that the penalty of taking kids out of school is not a solution. She referred to the ACLU statement that going to school is a fundamental right. She asked if there is a process for kids catching up on vaccines. She expressed concern about the Governor's request for a religious exemption.

It seems to me that if this committee wanted to pass this bill they would have simply thrown some soft balls at Pan and Allen, which they would have easily hit back, and then voted yes on the bill, with a minority dissenting. In the Health Committee, the senators did not even ask our panel questions, except for "Where in the law does it tell doctors how to define medical exemptions?" which was kind of a "See I told ya so!" trick question.

Yes, Senator Liu should have taken the vote right then and there. It could be argued that she caved. She probably felt that this was too big an issue to be hurried, that she knew they would receive a lot of negative fallout, that she wanted to be able to say that she gave her colleagues the opportunity to respond to the Education Committee's concerns. But she doesn't seem to me to be the devious dictator in charge. Yes she is chair of this committee but there are stronger powers above her I'm sure. I have a good impression of her overall, and it seems to me that she listed to the information presented by her constituents and reviewed the law carefully, and changed from probable support to having significant concerns.

And again, my understanding is that the next Education Committee is open to observers, not private and secret. But they are not going to allow more testimony, they are just going to take a vote. Perhaps they will debate among themselves, but no panel of experts nor voters lining up to say whether for or against the bill.

http://www.putchildrenfirst.org/media/3.5.pdf

Vaccine and policy making. Check it out. I say take to the streets. Recall the senators if this bill passes.

Twyla

I almost never disagree with you but can't agree with you here. It may not have been Senator Liu's fault Senator Huff was leaving but it was something she could calculate on. I also don't think it is right (1) that Senator Pan should inflict such a "draconian" bill on the world without having thought it through (2) not alright to sort the matter out behind closed doors a week later.

@Linda1, hah! The Newsweek story, "Anti-vaxxers Score a Legislative Victory in California," seems now to be some kind of lame attempt to make it seem like there was actually a fair chance to stop this Bill. Obviously Senator Liu (a Democrat) did what she had to do to make it look like it had a chance to not pass when they saw the outcry. Obviously they think we are stupid. I think they have underestimated parents and concerned citizens very badly.

I'm with you David Foster. We need to take back our government.

I sure hope you Californians win on this cause what happens in California -- Kentucky soon follows.

Newsweek:

"Anti-Vaxxers Score a Legislative Victory in California"

"The bill's author, State Senator Dr. Richard Pan, a pediatrician, was forced to delay a vote in the Senate Education Committee after some of his fellow lawmakers said they would not vote for a bill that excluded unvaccinated children from public schools. Proponents of the bill spoke for about seven minutes, according to The Sacramento Bee, while opposed parents spent more than two hours arguing against it.[WHAT?] “I think maybe some of the senators were taken aback by the ferocity of passion that they saw there, and that might have been impactful,” State Senator Ben Allen, a co-author of SB277, told the Bee.

The issue of mandatory vaccinations is contentious in California, where, according to the Contra Costa Times, more than 13,000 kindergartners are unvaccinated for personal or religious reasons. Perhaps hoping to sway public opinion, Pan and Allen penned an op-ed in The Fresno Bee titled "SB 277 protects children from horrific diseases."

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/anti-vaxxers-score-a-legislative-victory-in-california/ar-AAb9JQ8?ocid=iehp

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article18732123.html

"...Few bills have spurred action on a comparable scale. At a time when political observers bemoan California’s low voter participation rates, critics have flooded lawmakers with calls and surged by the hundreds into the Capitol to express their opposition.

“We’re hearing from a lot of people out there,” said Sen. Carol Liu, D-La Cañada Flintridge. “They were inundating our phones, etc. I think my staff was overwhelmed.”

During Wednesday’s hearing, proponents of the bill spoke for about seven minutes. Opponents testified for nearly two hours, dressing in matching red shirts, lining up out of the hearing room and convening in stairwells. Many said they would pull their children from school if the bill passed – a possibility that resonated with lawmakers who cast doubt on the bill.

“I think maybe some of the senators were taken aback by the ferocity of passion that they saw there, and that might have been impactful,” said Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, a co-author of SB 277 who said he was “a little surprised” by Wednesday’s outcome..."

Interesting tidbit of information below from an article titled: Does Big Pharma Own America? Link below. Good read.

Does Big Pharma Own America?
http://themomstreetjournal.com/2015/04/15/does-big-pharma-own-america/#comment-1196

Sen. Pan’s taken money all along the way from the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, Merck, as far back as the beginning of his political career in 2010.

And he has company.

Sen. Holly Mitchell, co-author of SB 277, accepted contributions — according to Merck’s website — as recently as last July when she was elected in a special election. In doing so, she may be guilty of violating the 1974 California Political Campaign reform act, which reads:

“… no gift or gifts aggregating two hundred fifty dollars ($250) or more in value provided to, received by, or promised to the public official within 12 months prior to the time when the decision is made.”

Sen. Holly Mitchell, co-author of SB 277, accepted contributions — according to Merck’s website — as recently as last July when she was elected in a special election. In doing so, she may be guilty of violating the 1974 California Political Campaign reform act, which reads:

“… no gift or gifts aggregating two hundred fifty dollars ($250) or more in value provided to, received by, or promised to the public official within 12 months prior to the time when the decision is made.”

Mitchell voted on SB 277 last week, which would make her in violation since SB 277 would bring financial gain to Merck who gave her money within 12 months of the vote.

Mitchell has been receiving direct funding from Merck as far back as 2010, as have other members of the State Senate Health Committee (see chart below) including Sen. Andy Vidak. Vidak also received direct funds from Merck as recently as 2014. Vidak was set to vote on the bill Wednesday as a member of the Education Committee, but because it was tabled he will vote privately next week. Voting on this bill could also put him inside the restricted 12-month period :http://www.merckresponsibility.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2014-US-Political-Contributions.pdf?80a7ad.

Senator Liu, your closed-session vote with more yes members was very slippery. You should be ashamed! You are the reason that so many are disillusioned with politics.. For shame! I have worked with children for over 30 years and Mr. Foster is right, you have no business being on a an education committtee. Resign now!

Hey David,

Nice response, and completely appropriate.

Take a look at H.R 933 and S. 486. They've got to be stopped on all levels. Yep, that's the federal, which started in the Education "area", also know as the "Head Start Act".

Thank you for calling them out. Let's keep it going.

I'd also like to give a shout out to another colleague. Yep, a fellow Red. She knows who she is ;)

VOTE THEM ALL OUT.

So Pan was humiliated in open forum and the committee was too embarrassed - perhaps they did not even anticipate how poorly he would perform - so now they are going to replay it behind closed doors and do exactly what they like and without reasons. But it has to be pointed out that if Pan could not give rational explanations in the first place he should never have introduced the bill. So, it should have been killed there and then.

Great letter David!

Thank you, David Foster!

Thrilled to know that SO MANY of us are working around the clock to KILL THIS BILL!